131896: Ruling on drawing the face of the patient before doing cosmetic surgery on him

My question is with regards to the drawing of inanimate objects. I work as a doctor, and often we see patients with injuries/deficits etc on the face and therefore have to draw the face with features in the medical records to highlight these injuries etc.
I had read that it is forbidden to draw the face/facial features. In the case of medical records, to document injuries and so forth, would this be permissible Islamically? I cannot undo what I have now done, and am worried about the consequences of my actions.

Published Date: 2010-05-09

Praise be to Allaah.

It is
not permissible to draw or photograph animate beings such as humans, birds
or animals. This has been discussed previously in the answer to question
no. 8954.

An
exception is made from that in cases of necessity, such as photographs for
passports or ID cards, or photographs of criminals and the like.

That
also includes what you have mentioned of drawing or photographing the face
and whatever deformities or injuries are in it before doing surgery, and
keeping the picture in the medical records. This is a case of necessity, in
addition to the fact that the picture is incomplete. But in that case it
should be limited to a photograph and should not be drawn, because drawing
is more haraam than photography; the majority of fuqaha’ are of the view
that it is forbidden to draw animate beings, whereas in the case of
photography, there is a well-known difference of opinion among contemporary
scholars concerning it.

If the
picture is incomplete, such as a picture of the face or head or chest, and
so on, and something is removed from the picture that represents a part of
the body without which there can be no life, then the words of many fuqaha’
indicate that it is permissible, especially if there is a need for that,
which is partial depiction. Whatever the case, people should fear Allah as
much as they are able to and should avoid that which Allah and His Messenger
have forbidden.

“And
whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him
to get out (from every difficulty).